Shoe heater



Sept. 5, 1932. M. 0. JENNINGS ET AL 1,876,055

SHOE HEATER F iled Aug. 30, 1929 r I j W/ZMkZ flffemzaggs, I [may Z'flZZQy.

Patented Sept. 6, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 MELVIN 0. JENNINGS,OF LEXINGTON, AND LYMAN E. ALLEY, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSA- GHUSETTS,ASSIGNORS T HARRY H. BECKWI'IH, 0F BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS i SHOEHEATER Application filed August 30, 1929. Serial No. 389,379.

This invention relates to improvements in shoe heaters. The manufactureof large numbers of shoes includes the use of box toe stiffeners whichare capable of being softened under the influence of heat. Thesestiifeners are customarily supplied in the form of blanks which arewarmed to make them flexible prior to the pulling-over operation, andthe turned-under margins are warmed again for the subsequent lastingoperation. Moist heat is in general preferable to dry heat for thispurpose, the moisture facilitating the softening of the stiflener andalso acting to protect the leather from burning or deterioration byexcessive heat. A certain amount of moisture is also necessary toprevent drawing of the thermoplastic binder from the stiflener. Theamount of moisture supplied must be carefully regulated as an excess isliable to stain and otherwise injure the leather. For best results,different degrees of moisture must be used with different leathers.Prior to the pulling-over operation, the stilfener blank issubstantially flat, while after the operation it is bent to shape aroundthe toe of the last. Heaters for the two steps are therefore ofdifferent form, the heater for the pulling-over operation beinggenerally a flat, foraminous surface on which the flat toe portions ofthe uppers are laid, and through which the moist heat rises. The heaterfor the lasting operation generally includes a hood with lateralopenings through which the toe portions of the lasts and uppers thereonare inserted. According to the present invention, a heater is providedwhich has alower portion for producing heat of the desired kind, anupper portion for supporting the toe stiffener in its flat condition,and another upper portion for supporting the toe stiffener for heatingprior to the lasting operation, these upper portions beinginterchangeable on the lower portion. The invention also includescertain improvementsin an upper portion of the hood type for heating toestiffeners which have been pulled over the last.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be hadto the de- Figure 5 is a horizontal section on the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a shield for use with the apparatusshown; in Figure 1.

Figure 7 is an end elevation, partly bro-- ken away, ofa heater havingan upper portion differing from that shown in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the heater shown'in Figure 1comprises a lower portion which includes a suitable housing 10 withinwhich may be mounted a container 11 for water to be heated. Secured tothe rear wall of the housing 10, we provide a receptacle 12 for water,this being connected to the container 11 as by a suitable aperture 13.In order to maintain asupply of water in the container 11 at asubstantially constant level, we may mount a can or flask 1 1 on asuitable standard 15, as shown in Figure 2, the flask being inverted sothat its mouth opens downwardly near the bottom of the receptacle 12.This maintains the water in the receptacle 12 at a depth suificient tocover the mouth of the flask, the water having the same level in thecontainer 11. Any suitable or convenient means for heating the water inthe container 11 may be provided, such means including steam heat, aflame, or an electric heating unit. On the drawing, a pair of electricunits 16 are illustrated, these units preferablyhaving an elongatedshape, as shown in Figure 3, so as to be readily clamped against thebottom of the container 11. If desired, suitable metallic strips 17 maybe employed with clamping screws 18 to insure a good mechanicalcontactbetween the heating units 16 and the bottom of the container 11.The units 16, being preferably constructed of such a size as to heat thewater within the container 11 so as to cause it to give ed the properamount of moisture required for the conditioning of the toe portions ofthe shoe uppers treated by the apparatus. in by a simple pair of clampsor equivalent devices, it is an easy matter to replace either or bothunits in case of failure or for the purpose of changing the size of theunits used in the machine. V

Mounted on the 'top of the casing 10 is a suitable hood 21 having anopen bottom fitting over the open, top oft-he casing 10 so that'thecasing and hood together form a continuous housing. The hood 21 isprovided with a suitable baffle plate 22 having therein suitableperforations 23 as shown in Figures 1 and 5, to direct the rising heatand moisture against ,the under-turned edge portions of the shoe toesinserted in the heater. As shown, these perforations 23 may be arrangedinan arcuate seriesfollowing the contour of the toe portion of the lastso that the moisture and heat passing through the perforations isproperly directed against the portions to be softened. This arrangementof perforations 23 makes possible the proper treatment of shoes with theleast possible supply of heat and moisture so that the apparatus maybeeconomically operated. In the front wall of the hood 21 are one or moreapertures 24 of suitable size and shape to receive the toe portion of alast with a shoe upper secured thereon. A suitable rack 25 is mounted toextend in front of the apertures 24'to support the heel portions of thelasts when the toes are inserted through the apertures. The apertures 24are preferably made of such a size as to receive theaverage mens shoelast with relatively little clearance, this being for the purpose ofavoiding too great an ingress of cool air or egress of heat and moisturethrough the aperture 24 when a last is in place. Inorder to adapt theapparatus readily for use in treating womens shoes, a suitable plate orshield 26 may be provided, this shield having re cesses 27 correspondingin shape to the apertures 24 but of a smaller size to receive womensshoes without excessive clearance. plate may be provided with suitablelugs 28 to project downwardly within the apertures 24 to hold the shieldin place, the upper edge 3 of the shield being retained by suitablecatches 29. 7

Within the upper portion of the hood 21,

above the baffle plate 22, a number of inner V 1 under the inner hoods.Since the unlts 16 are each held This hoods 30 may be provided, theseinner hoods extending transversely with respect to the hood 21 and beingpreferably arched so as to conform roughly to the rounded upper surfaceof the toe of the last. Each hood 30 thus forms a separate compartmentopposite one of the apertures 24. The inner hoods 30 extend rearwardly,as shown in Figure 2, to or nearly to the rear wall of the hood 21. Theupper rear portion of each hood 30is cut away as at 31 to provide egressof air and moisture upwardly from the compartments In order to regulatethe draft of air and vapor upwardly through the hood 21, we may employ asuitable damper 32 which may be entirely closed as shown in Figure 1, ormay be raised by a suitable handle 33, as shown in Figure 2. .A ratchetmember 34 may be provided to hold the damper 32 at any desired angle ofopening. For the further regulation and control of the air and moisturepassingupwardly through the aperture, a damper 35 may be mountedbet-ween the forward lip of the container 11 and the front wall of thecasing 10. This damper may be openedor closed as by a suitable handle36. When open,=the damper 35 permits a regulated flow of air inwardlythrough suitable apertures 37 and the lower wall of the casing 10 andupwardly between the front wall of the casing 10 and the container 11.This air mixes with the vapor arising from the container 11, the mixedair and vapor thereupon flowing upwardly through the apertures 23,passing around the toes of the shoe uppers on the last and escapingthrough the top of the hood 21 when the damper 32 is raised. If thedamper 32 is sufficiently raised, a certain amount of cool air may bedrawn through the apertures 24 to mingle with the rising column of airand moisture from below. If the damper 32 is entirely closed, the airand moisture "from below is forced to escape outwardly through theapertures 24. The dampers 32 and 35 may thus be operated to regulate thecharacter of the air-and moisture mixture arising from below,'and theflow of such air and moisture after it arrives within the. hoods 30. Thesetting of these dampers will depend upon the type of leather or'othermaterial used in the shoe uppers which are treated in the apparatus. Inthe case of ordinary mens shoes, for example, having uppers ofcomparatively heavy leather not easily injured by moisture, a maximumquantity of moisture will be used to temper the uppers so as to stretchthem properly in the bed-lasting operation which follows the heatingtreatment. Where more delicate leathers, however, aroused in the uppers,it may be preferred to permit cool air to flow in through the apertures24 in suflicient quantity to prevent excessive heating or molst-ening ofthe uppers and to confine the heating and moistening substantially tothe under-turned edge portions against the bottom of the last.

Figure 7 illustrates a different type of apparatus adapted to be mountedon a casing 10 and to be interchangeable with the hood 2-1. This form ofapparatus comprises a horizontal foraminous member 38 which may comprisea foraminous plate, a wire screen, or both plate and screen insuperposed position. If desired, the member 38 may also be covered witha layer of canvas or the like, but this covering is not essential. Theforaminous member 38 is supported by a suitable frame 39 which fits onthe top of the casing 11 in the same manner as does the hood 21, so thatthe casing 10 may be used in conjunction with the member 21 or with themodified heater illustrated in Figure 7. The latter is particularlysuited for conditioning box toe blanks prior to the pulling overoperation. These blanks may be laid fiat on the member 38, and arewarmed and softened by the moist heat arising from the container 11. Themoisture prevents excessive heating of the box toe blanks and alsoprevents spewing, that is, the exuding of the thermoplastic binder fromthe interior of the blank. For conditioning box toe blanks, no hood isrequired over the member 38. If, however, a suitable hood 40 beprovided, as illustrated in Figure 7, the apparatus is capable ofsuccessful use in conditioning the toes of shoe uppers which have beenpulled over the last. This form of apparatus is thus usable for bothheating steps of the box toe, that is, the heating prior to thepulling-over operation, and that prior to the bed-lasting operation.

We claim:

1. Apparatus of the class described, comprising an open-top casingmember, an open steam-supply receptacle occupying a portion of the spacein said casing and forming with a portion of said casing an air chamher,a hood fitted over said casing member and provided with a series oflateral openings to receive shoe toes, a damper adjacent to saidreceptacle adjustable to admit air from said chamber into the lowerportion of the hood, a damper at the top of said hood to regulate theflow of steam and air through said hood, a transverse perforatedpartition below said openings, and arched members for said openingsforming with said partition a series of chambers for the reception ofshoe toes.

2. Apparatus of the class described, com prising an open-top casingmember, an open water container within said casing, an electric heatingunit secured in contact with the outer surface of said container, anopen-bottom shoe-supporting member removably fitted upon said casing toreceive steam from said container, and means adjacent to said containerfor admitting and regulating a.

flow of air through the bottom of said sup porting member to mix withsteam from said container.

3. Apparatus of the class described, comprising an open-top casingmember, an open water container within said casing forming with aportion of said casing an air chamber, means for maintaining a supply ofwater in said container, a heater secured against the outer bottomsurface of said container, an open-bottom hood fitted on said casing tore ceive steam directly from said container and air from said chamber,said hood having lateral openings to receive shoe toes, a damperadjacent to said container for regulating afiow of air into the lowerportion of said hood to mix withsaid steam, a transverse perforatedpartition across said hood below said openings, a series of archedmembers forming with said partition chambers for receiving shoe toesinserted through said openings, said arched members being ventedadjacent to their rear ends to permit the escape of steam from saidchambers, and means at the top of the hood for regulating the drafttherethrough.

In testimony whereof we have aflixed our signatures.

MELVIN 0. JENNINGS. LYMAN E. ALLEY.

